Wierd tingling in fingers after grinding and sawing

[Stuart Clayman]

I just got a wholesale order for hearts like I had in the magnet exchange but larger ones and I have been spending about 2 hrs at the machines and just stopped. My fingers when I tought them lightly to something feel like they are still vibrating. Has anyone else felt this?

Stuart

[Cynthia]

Yes.

I think it's the vibration and sort of a reaction with the nerves. Don't know if it's anything to be concerned about in terms of a repetitive motion injury, but if you are concerned. Take more breaks, change the way you hold the pieces, change your stance, alternate hands that you use to hold the pieces when grinding...do whatever you can to keep from using the same positions as possible.

I haven't got carpal tunnel, but had it checked out since I was having a lot of trouble with pain zinging up my arms radiating from my hands, particularly after long sessions of painting or cutting or grinding. The neurologist said it was some sort of a nerve thing, but not carpal tunnel and not to worry...just do stuff to break up the routine so that you aren't putting the same kind of repetitive strain on the same tissues. The constant vibration thing is probably why your hands still tingle when you touch something else...Have it checked out if you are concerned, and do some research on repetitive motion injuries...lots of good info to be found and ways to address it.

[Carole Burton]

Stuart: According to The Walking Medical Dictionary I live with that is just the results of the vibrations. Should not cause problems, but agree with Cynthia that you should change hands. positions and take more breaks to prevent others problems that might develop.

Carole....S. C.

[Clifford Ross]

Try to make holders out of plastic or wood that you can use as a buffer between you and the machine.Just about anything will cut down on the vibrations .

[Barbara Muth]

Doesn't sound like carpal tunnel, but always best to be careful. I developed full blown bilateral carpal tunnel after less than six weeks working with a bad keyboard level that my employers couldn't seem to get fixed -- until it was too late. After a year of different therapies I had to have surgery on both hands and suffered permanent nerve damage.

Breaks are good.

The first time the tingling wakes you up in the night go straight to a neurologist.

Barbara

[Don Burt]

I looked-up some hand/wrist- stretching exercises on the web. Found some to do at work. You look like a dork doing them, so noone gives me a second glance.

[Carole Burton]

Someone makes holders that look like pliers made of plastic to hold the glass. Think I saw them in the other media - glass periodicals.
It might help to reduce vibs if you wrap the handles with thin foam rubber with as many layers as you can deal with. Make sure it is wrapped with duck tape or something that will prevent it from it getting caught in the machine and taking wings.
good luck. Carole.........S. C.

[Stuart Clayman]

Thanks everyone for the insights. It is a shame that I don't play a musical instrument. I was trying to figure out what key the fingers were vibrating in. Ok, so not all of my jokes are good.

I will take more breaks and also break up what I am doing instead of all the cutting, then grinding, and then sawing...

Stuart

[Carol]

[quote="the1glassman@yahoo.com"]I just got a wholesale order for hearts like I had in the magnet exchange but larger ones and I have been spending about 2 hrs at the machines and just stopped. My fingers when I tought them lightly to something feel like they are still vibrating. Has anyone else felt this?

This sounds suspiciously like the start of white knuckle disease, and can eventually lead to numbness in fingers and hands. It's usually experienced by people who use vibrating equipment all day...folks like loggers using chain saws, concrete guys using power trowels, etc.

You must just be particularly sensitive to vibrations and I echo the solutions given already...spend less time using vibrating equipment and/or break up your work sessions.

[Judith Andre]

I have carpal tunnel and have found that wearing wrist braces when doing activities that put stress on wrists really helps...although I agree that this doesn't sound like it probably is. But for those that do have signs of it I have found that the kind of braces that don't have the metal shaft in them are really helpful in avoiding painful episodes.

[Brian and Jenny Blanthorn]

I just got a wholesale order for hearts like I had in the magnet exchange but larger ones and I have been spending about 2 hrs at the machines and just stopped. My fingers when I tought them lightly to something feel like they are still vibrating. Has anyone else felt this?

Stuart

This is a real problem 4 anyone doing stuff like this over a long time

And can B very serious

But using cunning U can reduce this a lot

In addition 2 what has been said

Swap yr work arround often well B4 the hurting

Looking at what U do n alternitives will help

Use guides where U can

Swap over 2 diomond or get new ones / courcer ones

Keep warm / use warm water

I wear wrist guards from the flat glass industry

These keep me warm n give support

Keep ur hands / wrists warm all the time

I wear cut of socks all the time on wrists n in bed as well

My wrists were ruined but they R a lot better now

[Marty]

[/quote]

use warm water

[/quote]

I was told by someone in the diamond industry that warm water for coolant is not a good idea- shortens the tool life. It was in the middle of a wide ranging conversation and I never did get back to that topic. Any thoughts?

[Brian and Jenny Blanthorn]

use warm water

[/quote]

I was told by someone in the diamond industry that warm water for coolant is not a good idea- shortens the tool life. It was in the middle of a wide ranging conversation and I never did get back to that topic. Any thoughts?[/quote]

Well I am realy talking about warm rather than hot

In the winter it was just above freezing

I now as part of my last Plummin escapade I have a dustbin of water inside, I get a feed from 4 all the machines

A lot warmer now

I have warm rinsing water as well

I cant realy C warm water is any diffent 2 freezing cold as far as the grinding is concerned

MayB if U were a world famous Artist in a big factory where volume is a big deal

With lots of machines in stolen rooms

Working away

It could B a different story

[Dani]

Don't worry about looking like a dork, Don.... you should see me when I'm doing yoga for the eyes. For that matter, how intelligent do you think cell-phone users look walking down the street talking out loud? I'm not sure they really have cell phones..... just hearing voices, you know what I mean?

[Cynthia]

Marty wrote:

I was told by someone in the diamond industry that warm water for coolant is not a good idea- shortens the tool life. It was in the middle of a wide ranging conversation and I never did get back to that topic. Any thoughts?

I use warm water in my tile saw, WBS and the like because I have a syndrome called Reynaud's (vascular spasm often brought on by cold...causing limited circulation; numb and white to bluish fingers, possible tissue damage leading to possible amputation...Really icky stuff), and the end result of not using warm water is far more scary to me than what might happen to the life of the grinding tool.

I can't imagine though that using water that is just warm enough to keep my hands from freezing is really so warm that it isn't cooling the grinding tool sufficiently. But that's purely a hunch on my part.
Haven't heard about the White Knuckle thing, but if using warm water would help save your hands...a little shorter tool life isn't such a high price to pay.

[charlie]

i'm not sure i buy this rumour. the act of grinding/cutting causes a lot of localized heat anyway, far hotter than just using water that is warmer. i can perhaps see if it the water is closer to boiling, since it won't be able to remove the excess heat that the operation is performing, but i can't see damage occuring at any temps under 100F.

[Greg Rawls]

>>>I just got a wholesale order for hearts like I had in the magnet exchange but larger ones and I have been spending about 2 hrs at the machines and just stopped. My fingers when I tought them lightly to something feel like they are still vibrating. Has anyone else felt this?

Stuart:

I'm the North America Safety & Health Manager for a Fortune 100 company and I del with ergonomics daily. Many people experience this - every notice how your hands tingle after mowing the lawn?

I have a few questions:
1) Is this the first time this has ever happened to you?
2) How long after you finished working did the numbness persist?
3) Is it only your finger tips or does the numbness proceed further down to your hands?
4) Do you have any circulation problems?
5) Do you experience any pain (particularily at night)?

Often times if you tightly hold a vibrating object you experience vaso-constriction - narrowing of the blood vessels which leads to numbness. If you do not do this too often or too long, the symptoms will subside. If the numbness continues for several hours after you stop, this might be an indication of a problem. Feel free to email me if you do not want to discuss this in a open forum. greg.rawls@mindspring.com

[Stuart Clayman]

Greg,
Thanks for getting back to me. I will answer the questions in order they were asked. I will do this in public in case it might help others.

1) Is this the first time this has ever happened to you?
This is the first time that this has happened
2) How long after you finished working did the numbness persist?
The numbness persisted for about 30 mins. It reminded me of the vibrations from a tuning fork.
3) Is it only your finger tips or does the numbness proceed further down to your hands?
It was only in the tips of the fingers
4) Do you have any circulation problems?
I have tingling in my feet occasionall but that is a symptom that my sugar is high so luckily that does not happen often. It happened on a regular basis till I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabeties, but luckily things are in control so the problem does not persist. I checked the blood sugar level soon after this (and the tingling was gone), and then numbers were OK.
5) Do you experience any pain (particularily at night)?
At night is the only time I ever have the problems mentioned in #4. Had no problems that night.

So, my conclusion is that it was from the vibrating machines and not the blood sugar. In the future I will rotate the jobs of cutting, grinding and sawing and also taking breaks. Where possible I will use tools to hold the piece while grinding. I will also get different heads for the grinders and use the bigger head for the larger portion and then the finer head for the finishing touches. Any other suggestions?

Thanks,
Stuart

[Terry Ow-Wing]

Once upon a time when I got hit very badly with tendinitis and sever pain that went through the night the physical therapist had me soak my hands up to my elbows in alternating baths of hot and ice water , 1 minute (?) at a time up to a total of 10 minutes. This helped the circulation get going. Catch it now before it starts to hurt at night...it's a real pain.

Best wishes- Terry O.

[Terry Craig]

ok it is likly reynauld's syndrom so do as other have sujested stretch b4 you work and after relax your grip holing on to tight only leads to more truble and pain that can ande will cause longterm stress for you. yes use worm not hot water i would rather replace a tool later in my working life then have to shorten my working life. tool price is not a good justification for poor ergonomics. white nuckle syndrom is the same as reynaud's syndrome it just doesn't sound so scary. streatch, warm water lots of breaks.
terry